My Thoughts on Faith, Theology, Politics, and Government

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This and That 04-28-12

Really Practical Theology – “What? The last thing I need at the moment is systematic theology. I need solutions and I need them fast. Be practical, man.” Actually, God’s attributes are the first thing you need, and they are eminently practical for both sinners and sufferers alike. Consider the practical value of God’s attributes for those you are trying to help. – David Murray

Our Take: Name-calling is ‘rhetorical pornography’ – But it should be convicting to all Christians when we find ourselves contributing to this maelstrom. Derogatory terms for other human beings – regardless of how widely their views differ from ours or, more importantly, from the truths of Scripture – should never pass our lips. To call it rhetorical pornography, for the debasement it engenders, is not an overstatement. – Jim Daly, Russell D. Moore and Samuel Rodrigue

Consistent Complementarianism – Some men extol the glories of male headship but never think to consciously submit their lives and decision making to the authority of their elders and fellow church-members. As if God designed a husband’s authority to be a blessing at home, but all other authority is arbitrary and unimportant. – Michael McKinley

Is a failure to vote for Romney a vote for Obama? – Now would it be fair of me to say to everyone who votes for Romney, “By not voting for Candidate X you are giving the election to Obama”? Why not? After all, both Romney and the President believe the federal government ought to protect some mothers’ “right” to murder their unborn babies. They both agree that the governments can and should force citizens to buy insurance. They both agree that the federal government should fight wars against countries that have not attacked ours. In short, whatever differences they have, they are differences of degree, not principle. When, however, I vote for Candidate X, I am voting against the principles of bloated, immoral government. And if everyone who votes for Romney would instead vote for Candidate X, he could defeat the President. Therefore, to not vote for Candidate X is to vote for President Obama. – R.C. Sproul, Jr.

Revenge – I do not expect that this one student being expelled will bring about a sea change in the institutional policies of BJU. They have shown themselves to be all but immune to criticism and dismissive of correction. If there is any lesson to be learned here it is that current students should take care in squaring off against the behemoth that is the university. It is easy enough for those of us who no longer have skin in the game to encourage protest and outcry. It is quite another to put the time and money invested in your education on the line. While a student remains in their house the university has all the leverage and none can say unto them “what doest thou?” … I can, however, hope that perhaps a few potential students or pastors who have up until now been their allies will choose to spend their hard-earned money elsewhere. Perhaps even a few current students may decide that they cannot continue to consent to the present abuses of power by their silence and will choose a transfer to another school rather than live with the constant threat of being summarily expelled themselves for imaginary crimes. Perhaps if enough people vote with their feet, Bob Jones University will then at last be forced to grudgingly do right. – Stuff Fundies Like